Expansion-spike.



A. MARTIN.

EXPANSION SPIKE.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 24, 1912.

1,024,904.. I Patented Apr. 30, 1912;

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT MARTIN, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY.

EXPANSION-SPIKE.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT MARTIN, a subject of the King of Hungary, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Expansion- Spikes, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to expansion spikes, and the objects of my invention are, first, to provide a spike with clamping jaws that can be easily and quickly expanded to lock the spike in a body; second, to provide a spike that can be advantageously used for retaining a rail upon a tie; third, to provide an expansion spike that can be readily removed from the body in which it is mounted, and fourth, to accomplish the above results by a mechanical construction that is durable and highly efficient for the purposes for which it is intended.

\Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawing, wherein Figure 1 is an elevation of a portion of a tie, partly broken away and partly in section, illustrating one of the spikes in side elevation, Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a spike, and Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

A spike in accordance with this invention comprises a cylindrical body 1 having a longitudinal bore 2 extending from one end thereof to the opposite end. The upper end of the body 1 has a clamping head 3 upon the inner side thereof and a stop lug 1 upon the opposite side, the stop lug 4 being removed from the upper end of the body, and said lug is adapted to engage in a tie or other body 5 and limit the movement of the spike body in an opening 6 provided therefor in the tie 1. The upper end of the spike body 1 is enlarged to provide a head 7 and diametrically opposed sides of said head are cut away and flattened, as at 8, whereby a suitable instrument, as a crow bar, can be placed in engagement with the head of the spike for removing the same from the openin 6.

secured to diametrically opposed sides of the spike body 1, at the lower end thereof,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed January 24, 1912.

Patented Apr. 30, 1912.

Serial No. 673,114.

by screws 9 or other fastening means are the upper ends of resilient locking arms 10, the lower ends of said arms having jaws 11. These jaws provide shoulders 12 that en gage an annular shoulder 18 formed by enlarging the lower end of the opening 6.

Rot-atably mounted in the bore 2 of the spike body 1 is a pin 1% that has the lower end thereof tapered, as at 15 to provide clearance for a movement of the arms 10. Secured to the lower end of the pin 11 by a transverse pin 16 is a cross head 17. The cross head is substantially oval in plan and has flattened ends to engage the flattened inner sides 18 of the jaws 11. The pin 15, adjacent to the cross head 17 is provided with staples or eyes 19 and extending through said staples or eyes are curved check members 20' having hook-shaped ends 21. The check members 20 are carried by the inner sides of the resilient locking arms 10, and these members limit the rotative movement of the pin 14:, said members determining when the cross head 17 is in engagement with the jaws 11 and the arms 10 expanded to lock the spike body within the opening 6.

The upper end of the pin 14 is provided with a rectangular head 22, said head having arecess 23. Arranged within the recess 23 is a compression spring 2& that engages the inner side of a latch 25 pivotally connected by a pin 26 to the head 22. The lower end of the latch extends into a keeper notch 27 formed in the head 8, said latch locking the pin relatively to the spike body. By pushing inwardly upon the upper end of the latch 25, the lower end of the latch is shifted out of the notch 27 andthe pin head 22 can be rotated a quarter of a revolution to shift the cross head 17 crosswise relatively to the arms 10, thereby releasing the jaws 11 and allowing the jaws to recede and assume a closed position that permits of the spike body 1 being removed from the opening 6.

The expansible spike is made entirely of light and durable metal and can be made of various sizes and used for other purposes than that herein shown and described.

What I claim is 1. An expansion spike comprising a body, resilient arms carried by the lower end thereof and provided with jaws, a pin rotatably mounted in said body, a cross head carried by the lower end of said pin and adapted to engage the jaws of said arms for expanding said arms, a head carried by the upper end of said pin, and means carried by said head for looking said pin relatively to said spike body.

2. An expansion spike comprising a body, resilient arms carried by the lower end thereof and provided with jaws, a pin rotatably mounted in said body, a cross head carried by the lower end of said pin and adapted to engage the jaws of said arms for expanding said arms, a head carried by the upper end of said pin, means carried by said head for locking said pin relatively to said spike body, and means carried by said resilient arms and engaging the lower end of said pin for limiting the moven'ient of said pin.

3. An expansion spike comprising a body, a clamping head carried by the upper end thereof, resilient locking arms carried by the lower end thereof, a pin rotatably mounted in said body, a cross head carried by the lower end of said pin and adapted to Contact with and expand the lower end of said arms, a head carried by said pin, and means in eluding a pivoted latch carried by said head for locking said pin relatively to said body.

4t. An expansion spike comprising a body, a clamping head carried by the upper end thereof, resilient looking arms carried by the lower end thereof, a pin rotatably mounted in said body, a cross head carried by the lower end of said pin and adapted to contactwith and expand the lower ends of said arms, a head carried by said pin, means including a pivoted latch. carried by said head for locking said pin relatively to said body, and means including cheek members carried by said arms for limiting the movement of .said pin relatively to said body.

An expansion spike comprising a body, a clamping head carried there-by, a check lug carried by said body, resilient arms carried by the lower ends of said body, jaws carried by the lower ends of said arms, a pin rotatably mounted in said body, a cross head carried by the lower end of said pin and adapted to engage said aws to expand the lower end of said arms, a head carried by the upper end of said pin, a spring pressed latch carried by said head for looking said pin relatively to said body, and means carried by the lower ends of said arms for limiting the movement of said pin in said body.

In testimony whereof I a'tlix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

ALBERT MARTIN. lvitnesses AnoLrrI TREATY, Crms. l3. Mmxox.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, 

